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A WriteGirl Publication ALSO FROM WRITEGIRL PUBLICATIONS

Emotional Map of Los Angeles: Creative Voices from WriteGirl You Are Here: The WriteGirl Journey No Character Limit: Truth & Fiction from WriteGirl Intensity: The 10th Anniversary Anthology from WriteGirl Beyond Words: The Creative Voices of WriteGirl Silhouette: Bold Lines & Voices from WriteGirl Lines of Velocity: Words that Move from WriteGirl Untangled: Stories & Poetry from the Women and Girls of WriteGirl Nothing Held Back: Truth & Fiction from WriteGirl Pieces of Me: The Voices of WriteGirl Bold Ink: Collected Voices of Women and Girls Threads Pens on Fire: Creative Writing Experiments for Teens from WriteGirl (Curriculum Guide)

IN-SCHOOLS PROGRAM ANTHOLOGIES

Unstoppable: Creative Voices of the WriteGirl & Bold Ink Writers In-Schools Programs These Moments: The Creative Voices of the WriteGirl In-Schools Program Ocean of Words: Bold Voices from the WriteGirl In-Schools Program Words & Curiosity: Creative Voices of the WriteGirl In-Schools Program This Is My World: Creative Voices of the WriteGirl In-Schools Program Ready for the Next Chapter: Creative Voices of the WriteGirl In-Schools Program No Matter What: Creative Voices from the WriteGirl In-Schools Program So Much to Say: The Creative Voices of the WriteGirl In-Schools Program Sound of My Voice: Bold Words from the WriteGirl In-Schools Program This Is Our Space: Bold Words from the WriteGirl In-Schools Program Ocean of Words: Bold Voices from the WriteGirl In-Schools Program Reﬂections: Creative Writing from Destiny Girls Academy Afternoon Shine: Creative Writing from the Bold Ink Writers Program at the Marc & Eva Stern Math and Science School Words That Echo: Creative Writing from Downey, Lawndale and Lynwood Cal-SAFE Schools The Landscape Ahead: Creative Writing from New Village Charter High Schools Sometimes, Just Sometimes: Creative Writing from La Vida West and Lynwood Cal-SAFE Programs Everything About Her: Creative Writing from New Village High School Visible Voices: Creative Writing from Destiny Girls Academy Now That I Think About It: Creative Writing from Destiny Girls Academy Look at Me Long Enough: Creative Writing from Destiny Girls Academy ACCLAIM FOR WRITEGIRL PUBLICATIONS

Praise for Sound Generation: The Resonant Voices of Teen Girls

“Words alone are mostly meaningless. Words strung together can have rhythm and power and saliency. The symphony of the teenaged experience is precisely why WriteGirl exists — to capture the sloppiness and the art of being alive.”

– Heather Hach Hearne, screenwriter of Freaky Friday and What to Expect When You’re Expecting and librettist for Legally Blonde: The Musical

“Fearless, raw and melodic — these poems and stories stand up and belt out: ‘I am here.’ The writing on these pages is not remarkable ‘for a teen.’ It’s remarkable — full stop. Each voice in Sound Generation hums with verve and veracity.” – Rachel Caris Love, screenwriter of Blindspot

“WriteGirl is an incredible organization. I have been amazed at the quality of the work these girls produce. I congratulate the staff on working so hard to provide these young ladies with a safe space and the tools that they need to succeed.” – Keiko Agena, actress, Gilmore Girls and 13 Reasons Why, and author of the forthcoming “artist workbook” No Mistakes (Tarcher/Perigree, summer 2018)

Praise for Emotional Map of Los Angeles: Creative Voices from WriteGirl

“It is a gift to explore Los Angeles through the eyes of these brave and talented young women. I’m awed and inspired by the way this collection captures the heart, nerves and soul of our city. We have so much to look forward to from the next generation of L.A. writers. This book is a remarkable and unforgettable trip. Prepare to be stirred.” – Kami Garcia, #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of Beautiful Creatures and author of Unbreakable

“The only thing more inspiring than WriteGirl, the organization, is the girls themselves. Their process is a combination of work and play, craft and self- exploration. The results are kind of mind-boggling!” – Josann McGibbon, screenwriter of Descendants, Runaway Bride, The Starter Wife “I was reintroduced to the city where I was born and raised courtesy of these talented girls and their unique stories, perspectives and insights. Their talent will inspire the reader and leave no doubt as to what a WriteGirl is capable of, as long as she has a pen and some paper.” – Kelley Turk, television writer

“When I read these poems, I am impressed by the strong sense of place, and how WriteGirl mentors have helped these young writers discover their city and their homes because deep roots foster tall dreams.” – Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo, poet and co-founder of Women Who Submit

“Getting to see Los Angeles through the eyes of these young girls reminded me how big the small things that make up our lives really are. These WriteGirl authors plucked them out and treated them as beautiful bookmarks inside their own story. I was more than happy to disappear into these private moments and share in their experiences as if they were my own…if only for a page of two.” – Courtney Turk, television writer

“There’s nothing like a jolt of beautiful, authentic voices to inspire and delight… WriteGirl gets down life. We get to share in that raw power.” – Rita Hsiao, co-writer, Mulan, Toy Story 2

“The remarkably assured and soul-stirring pieces in this anthology are ﬁlled with tender introspection, ﬁerce engagement with the world, and precise and intimate knowing. All testify to the fact that WriteGirl is succeeding in its mission to empower girls through writing. These girls have voices, and they know how to use them. Readers, prepare to be enthralled.” – Marisa Silver, novelist and short story writer, Mary Coin and The God of War

Praise for You Are Here: The WriteGirl Journey

“The name could just as easily be “Write, Girl!” — an exhortation for a young woman to take her life, her future, her sense of self into her own hands by putting a pen there. Nothing has the sheer human power to change minds and hearts that a simply and beautifully wrought sentence has. Write, girls!” – Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times columnist, radio host for KPCC, best-selling author Praise for No Character Limit: Truth & Fiction from WriteGirl

“Adolescents reading this anthology will recognize themselves in the words. Aspiring wordsmiths can use the works as models for their own writing or try their turn at the various exercises in the book.” – School Library Journal

“Showcases work by the girls and their mentors that explore universal feelings about friendship, family and adolescence.” – Ms. Magazine (Great Reads for Winter 2013)

“In this book, what these girls have to say makes us laugh at times, and other times makes us want to cry. But their words always make us believe. These girls understand the power of words.” – Meg Cabot, author, The Princess Diaries, Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girls, Size 12 and Ready to Rock

“The writings in No Character Limit are bold and passionate. The words grab you, shake you and invade your brain, but most of all they make you grateful — grateful that these girls are writing, sharing with us their unique perspectives on the human condition.” – Jennifer Crittenden, writer/producer, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Arrested Development, Everybody Loves Raymond

Praise for Intensity: The 10th Anniversary Anthology from WriteGirl

“I have never owned a WriteGirl anthology that didn’t eventually make the rounds of my friends. The writing is ﬁne writing, and that the authors are young writers makes no difference. Art is art. Good writing is good writing. And every emotion ﬁnds genuine expression.” – Eloise Klein Healy, Poet Laureate of Los Angeles

“Many writers think, ‘I can’t,’ or ‘I’m not good at this,’ or ‘I don’t know how to spell the words.’ But the best way a writer can overcome self-doubt is to keep writing. These girls started with a few words and the seed of an idea. With WriteGirl’s encourage- ment, each girl allowed the words to keep coming until her idea grew into an essay, a story or a poem. What do writers do? They write. And how lucky we are to have these writers’ words and ideas to inspire us!” – Carole King, GRAMMY® Award-winning singer and songwriter Praise for Beyond Words: The Creative Voices of WriteGirl

“Powerful and strong, raw and vulnerable — these are the voices of girls who demand to be heard. Girls who know their words have real meaning, in a world that can often feel anything but real. WriteGirl’s latest anthology, Beyond Words, is proof of their conviction. You will not only hear them, but you’ll never forget them.” – Kami Garcia, New York Times bestselling author of Beautiful Creatures

“Writing has been my life, and I work very hard at it. Having a group like WriteGirl is an amazing help to those who love the craft. The mentoring of the young girls is a wonderful way to pair the professional with the new writers to show them how to hone their skills and have a successful career doing so. The excerpts written by these girls are inspiring and show genuine talent. I give a big thumbs-up to WriteGirl and to those who are working hard to do what they love so much.” – Diane Warren, GRAMMY® Award-winning songwriter, “Because You Loved Me”

“WriteGirl is a life-changing program that reaches out and supports young women to express themselves through writing. The dedicated mentors who do the hard work with them are guardian angels. And I suspect it is as life-changing for them as it is for the young authors.” – Naomi Foner, screenwriter, Bee Season, Losing Isaiah, Running on Empty

“Cheers to Keren Taylor for coming up with the dream of giving teenage girls a voice, and then creating an organization that made her dream a reality. Cheers also for her hardworking staff, and the dedicated volunteers and mentors of WriteGirl for enabling teenage girls to wrestle the truth of their lives, their hearts and souls, into literary form on the page. And another round of cheers for Beyond Words, the latest addition to WriteGirl’s growing library of award-winning anthologies.” – Barbara Abercrombie, UCLA Extension creative writing instructor, author, Kicking in the Wall: A Year of Writing Exercises, Prompts, and Quotes to Help You Break Through Your Blocks and Reach Your Writing Goals

“The WriteGirls are woman warriors of the pen. To read their poems and stories is to be heartened by their wonderful, inspiring, regenerating powers.” – Maxine Hong Kingston, author, The Woman Warrior, The Fifth Book of Peace, I Love a Broad Margin to My Life Praise for Silhouette: Bold Lines & Voices from WriteGirl

“WriteGirl is essential to helping our young women know how important their thoughts and feelings, not just their looks and bodies, are. Right on, girls — WriteGirl!” – Nikki Giovanni, poet, Bicycles: Love Poems, Blues: For All the Changes, Quilting the Black-Eyed Pea

Praise for Listen to Me: Shared Secrets from WriteGirl

“The wit and wisdom found inside Listen to Me comes in whispers, shouts, giggles, cries, chortles, inner ahas and other creative noises — proving once again that the voices of women and girls are as rich and varied as a great symphony. WriteGirl’s newest anthology hits your funny bone in new places, strums your heart strings and strikes just the right chords to make your imagination sing. Listen to me, do yourself a favor and pay attention to what’s being said in Listen to Me.” – Jane Wagner, writer/producer/director, The Incredible Shrinking Woman, The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe

“I love hearing the new voices in these pages. I’ve had the pleasure of being part of one of WriteGirl’s workshops. Now when I meet a young woman in her teens who asks for advice on becoming a writer, I instantly say, ‘Have you heard of WriteGirl? Get involved with them immediately!’” – Robin Swicord, screenwriter, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Memoirs of a Geisha; screenwriter/director, The Jane Austen Book Club

Praise for Lines of Velocity: Words that Move from WriteGirl

“Unlike many such anthologies, this collection includes the work of experienced mentors…as well as the teen participants. The result is a dynamic exchange of shared prompts, ideas and projects. The writing is at times hilarious. At other times, it is heartbreaking. This anthology is sure to be picked up by aspiring young writers as well as educators looking for inspired samples and interactive exercises.” – School Library Journal

“Lines of Velocity sparks with the lively intelligence of gifted young writers well on their way to discovering the power of language. If I’d had the WriteGirl experience at the onset of my formative years, who knows? I might be a Pulitzer Prize winner by now.” – Suzanne Lummis, poet and teacher, In Danger (The California Poetry Series) Praise for Untangled: Stories & Poetry from the Women and Girls of WriteGirl

“This fifth anthology is a worthwhile and highly motivational compendium of poetry, short stories, nonfiction and dramatic excerpts from both students and teachers. Including great topic suggestions, writing experiments and insight into the creative process, this volume is a perfect fit for the high school classroom. Sharp observations abound…unconventional writing exercises…motivational quotes…nonstop inspiration.” – Publishers Weekly

“Untangled gives me hope, riles me up, revs me up, makes me sad, makes me happy, makes me want to write, and makes me want to read. All I ever think about is how to make more young women want to share their voices with the world — and WriteGirl, plus this anthology — are actually doing it. There’s nothing cooler than jumping into the worlds of these young women as well as the minds of the brilliant women who mentor them. Untangled rocks!” – Jill Soloway, writer/producer, United States of Tara; author, Tiny Ladies in Shiny Pants

“The writing here, always moving and sometimes painful, displays freshness, an exuber- ant inventiveness, and — surprisingly — a hard-won wisdom. Some of these young women will undoubtedly grow up to be poets, journalists and novelists. All of them have already learned to write honestly and with conviction.” – Benjamin Schwarz, literary and national editor, The Atlantic

Praise for Nothing Held Back: Truth & Fiction from WriteGirl

“For these girls (and their mentors) writing is a lens, a ﬁlter, a way to cut through the nonsense and see the possibilities. …[Nothing Held Back] suggests that reports of literacy’s death have been greatly exaggerated, that language remains a transformative force.” – David Ulin, editor, Los Angeles Times Book Review

Praise for Pieces of Me: The Voices of WriteGirl

“Wow! I couldn’t stop reading this. Talk about goosebumps! This book will shock you — and make you think — and make you FEEL — all at the same time!” – R.L. Stine, author, Goosebumps and Fear Street series “All the boldness, unselfconsciousness, lack of vanity and beautiful raw talent that is usually tamped down by adulthood bursts from these pages and announces a formidable new crop of young writers.” – Meghan Daum, author, Life Would Be Beautiful If I Lived in That House and My Misspent Youth

“Pieces of Me is a riveting collection of creative writing produced by girls and women with enormous talent. On every page you’ll encounter fresh voices and vibrant poems and stories that pull you into these writers’ worlds, into the energy of their lives.” – Vendela Vida, author, Away We Go, Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name

AWARDS FOR WRITEGIRL PUBLICATIONS

2015 Winner, International Book Awards, Anthology: Emotional Map of Los Angeles 2015 Winner, National Indie Excellence Awards, Anthology: Emotional Map of Los Angeles 2015 Finalist, Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Anthology: Emotional Map of Los Angeles 2015 Winner, Beverly Hills Book Awards, Anthology: Emotional Map of Los Angeles 2015 Runner-Up, Great Southwest Book Festival, Young Adult: Emotional Map of Los Angeles 2015 Honorable Mention, Los Angeles Book Festival, Young Adult: Emotional Map of Los Angeles 2015 Finalist, Foreword Reviews’ INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award, Anthologies: Emotional Map of Los Angeles 2015 Finalist, USA Best Book Awards, Young Adult: Nonfiction: Emotional Map of Los Angeles 2015 Runner-Up, Southern California Book Festival, Compilations/Anthologies: Emotional Map of Los Angeles 2015 Winner, Pinnacle Book Achievement Award, Young Adult: Emotional Map of Los Angeles 2014 Honorable Mention, Hollywood Book Festival: You Are Here 2014 Finalist, USA Best Book Awards, Compilations/Anthologies: You Are Here 2014 Winner, The Great Midwest Book Festival, Compilations/Anthologies: You Are Here 2014 Winner, International Book Awards, Young Adult: You Are Here 2014 Winner, Beverly Hills Book Awards, Anthologies: You Are Here 2014 Runner-Up, Great Northwest Book Festival: You Are Here 2014 Runner-Up, Great Southwest Book Festival: You Are Here 2014 Finalist, Silver Medal, Next Generation Indie Book Awards: You Are Here 2014 Honorable Mention, San Francisco Book Festival: You Are Here 2014 Honorable Mention, Parks Book Festival: You Are Here 2014 Honorable Mention, New York Book Festival: You Are Here 2014 Honorable Mention, Los Angeles Book Festival: You Are Here 2014 Honorable Mention, London Book Festival: You Are Here 2013 Silver Medal, Independent Publisher Book Awards: No Character Limit 2013 Winner, IndieReader Discovery Awards, Anthologies: No Character Limit 2013 Honorable Mention, Eric Hoffer Award, Young Adult: No Character Limit 2013 Bronze, Foreword Reviews Book of the Year Awards, Anthologies: No Character Limit 2013 Finalist, International Book Awards, Anthologies: No Character Limit 2013 Finalist, Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Anthologies: No Character Limit 2013 Honorable Mention, San Francisco Book Festival, Anthologies: No Character Limit 2013 Honorable Mention, Paris Book Festival, Anthologies: No Character Limit 2013 Runner-Up, Great Southwest Book Festival, Anthologies: No Character Limit 2012 Finalist, Beverly Hills Book Awards, Anthologies: No Character Limit 2012 Winner, USA Best Book Awards, Anthologies: No Character Limit 2012 Runner-Up, London Book Festival, Anthologies: No Character Limit 2012 Winner, Los Angeles Book Festival, Anthologies: No Character Limit 2012 Runner-Up, Southern California Book Festival, Anthologies: No Character Limit 2012 Honorable Mention, Eric Hoffer Award, Young Adult: Intensity 2012 Winner, International Book Awards, Anthologies: Nonfiction: Intensity 2012 Winner, National Indie Excellence Awards, Anthologies: Intensity 2012 Runner-Up, San Francisco Book Festival Awards, Anthologies: Intensity 2012 Runner-Up, Paris Book Festival Awards, Anthologies: Intensity 2011 Finalist, ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Awards, Anthologies: Intensity 2011 Honorable Mention, Los Angeles Book Festival, Anthologies: Intensity 2011 Winner, London Book Festival Awards, Anthologies: Intensity 2011 Honorable Mention, New England Book Festival, Anthologies: Intensity 2011 Finalist, USA Best Book Awards, Anthologies, Nonfiction: Intensity 2011 Winner, International Book Awards, Anthologies, Nonfiction: Beyond Words 2011 Winner, National Indie Excellence Awards, Anthologies: Beyond Words 2011 Finalist, Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Anthologies: Beyond Words 2011 Finalist, Independent Book Publisher Awards, Anthologies: Beyond Words 2010 Finalist, ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Awards, Anthologies: Beyond Words 2010 Winner, London Book Festival, Anthologies: Beyond Words 2010 Winner, National Best Book Awards, USA BookNews, Poetry: Beyond Words 2010 First Place, National Indie Excellence Awards, Anthologies: Silhouette 2010 Winner, New York Book Festival, Teenage: Silhouette 2010 Winner, International Book Awards, Anthologies: Silhouette 2009 Winner, London Book Festival Awards, Anthologies: Silhouette 2009 Finalist, ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Awards: Silhouette 2009 Winner, Los Angeles Book Festival, Nonfiction: Silhouette 2009 Winner, National Best Book Awards, USA Book News, Anthologies: Silhouette 2009 Silver Medal, Independent Publisher Book Awards: Listen to Me 2009 Runner-Up, San Francisco Book Festival, Teenage: Listen to Me 2009 Winner, National Indie Excellence Awards, Anthologies: Listen to Me 2009 Runner-Up, New York Book Festival, Teenage: Listen to Me 2009 Finalist, Next Generation Indie Book Awards: Listen to Me 2008 Finalist, ForeWord Reviews: Listen to Me 2008 Winner, London Book Festival Awards, Teenage: Lines of Velocity 2008 Honorable Mention, New England Books Festival, Anthologies: Lines of Velocity 2008 Grand Prize Winner, Next Generation Indie Book Awards: Lines of Velocity 2008 Winner, National Best Book Awards, USA Book News:Lines of Velocity 2008 Silver Medal, Independent Publisher Awards: Lines of Velocity 2008 Honorable Mention, New York Festival of Books Awards: Lines of Velocity 2007 Finalist, ForeWord Magazine: Lines of Velocity 2007 Honorable Mention, London Book Festival Awards: Untangled 2006 Finalist, ForeWord Magazine: Untangled 2006 Winner, National Best Book Awards, USA Book News: Untangled 2006 Notable Mention, Writers Notes Magazine Book Awards: Nothing Held Back 2006 Honorable Mention, Independent Publisher Book Awards: Nothing Held Back 2005 Finalist, Independent Publisher Awards: Pieces of Me 2005 Finalist, ForeWord Magazine: Bold Ink Write about the things that need to be heard.

WriteGirl Publications Los Angeles

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photography, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system or technologies now known or later developed, without written permission from the publisher.

SOUND GENERATION: The Resonant Voices of Teen Girls

Publisher & Editor: Keren Taylor Associate Editors: Cindy Collins Allison Deegan Annlee Ellingson Katie Geyer Kirsten Giles Kelsey O’Brien Corinna Schroeder Genevieve Scott Michelle Chahine Sinno

Book Production Support: Soﬁa Aguilar Emily Bradford Jana Helms Reparata Mazzola Rachel McLeod Kaminer Lindsay Miller Elena Perez Barbara Stimson Bonita Thompson

Art Director: Keren Taylor Book & Cover Design: Sara Apelkvist Printing: Chromatic Inc., Los Angeles

ISBN: 978-0-692-88728-8

FIRST EDITION Printed in the United States of America

Orders, inquiries and correspondence: WriteGirl Publications Los Angeles, California www.writegirl.org [email protected] 213-253-2655 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We at WriteGirl wish to extend our heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you who contributed so generously to making this wonderful anthology possible.

Two years have passed since the publication of our last anthology and it is with great pride and excitement that we bring you Sound Generation: The Resonant Voices of Teen Girls. This spring, our book production team dove into a sea of submissions from our teens (and a few of our alums) that included poetry, prose, songs and excerpts from novels and screenplays. It has been both a labor of love and an honor to read through the hundreds of pages of submissions sent to us via email, snail mail, text, hand delivery and even snapshots of handwritten pieces. Some pieces were quickly scribbled down at one of our monthly Los Angeles workshops while others were labored over during weekly mentor- mentee writing sessions.

We would like to thank our WriteGirl parents. We applaud your efforts to ensure your daughters’ participation in our workshops and mentor-mentee sessions and your enthusiastic support at our public readings and special events.

Thank you to all of our WriteGirl volunteers for your passion and dedication. You provide the safe space in which our girls can explore their voices and share their words freely both on the page and with each other.

To our board members, friends and supporters, thank you for helping sustain WriteGirl, year after year. You make it possible for us to expand our programming, network and partnerships.

Thank you to the WriteGirl book production team of editors, proofreaders and production assistants. Your long hours, late nights, attention to detail and generous spirits made this book possible.

Thank you to Sara Apelkvist for once again lending your creative talents to design this book, cover to cover, in a way that honors and celebrates our girls’ words and the spirit of WriteGirl.

Finally, a big thank you to every WriteGirl teen writer. Your creativity and profound courage make this anthology sing! FOREWORD

Senator Holly J. Mitchell was a special guest speaker at the WriteGirl 15th Anniversary Celebration. When she read this letter to her fifteen-year-old-self, we asked if we could include it in our new WriteGirl anthology. Whether you are fifteen or fifty-five, there is advice here for you, about the importance of self-confidence, individualism, boldness and mindfulness, that is at the core of what WriteGirl is all about.

Letter to My Fifteen-Year-Old Self

My dear, dear Holly:

Thinking about you at ﬁfteen years of age and all that lies ahead of you makes me smile. So to succinctly capture all the stuff swirling around in my head that I want to say to you, I’ll resort to my Virgo self and make a list! Here we go:

1. I know it’s hard being six feet tall and wearing a size twelve shoe. But trust me…it will be OK. Because next fall the entire boys’ basketball team will return from summer break taller than you! And in about twenty years, thanks to personal computers, the internet and enlightened shoe manufacturers, you will shop worldwide and own dozens of really hip shoes! And even though it’s hard now, one day you’ll grow (not literally…you top out at six feet!) to truly appreciate — even VALUE — your height. Because when you walk in the room, everyone knows you’ve arrived.

2. Don’t be afraid! (a) Your mom NEVER ﬁnds your diary! ;) (b) When David McDonald tries to kiss you, let him. Nobody will care that you kissed a boy. Your reputation will remain stellar. (c) When Howard University sends you an early acceptance letter in your junior year, GO! Don’t let fear stop you. Your Grandma Jewell will go above and beyond to convince you that you shouldn’t go — cost, distance, you’ll be alone, etc. While she certainly means well, please know that she lived her entire life in fear. It stopped her from experiencing her own full potential, and you don’t want to live life that way. Learning to jump and take risks is a skill that takes practice to master. JUST DO IT.

24 3. When you lose your mom and dad, you’ll be devastated. It will feel like all the air left your body. That horrible feeling of being all alone in the world will gently pass and you’ll remember that they trained you well. You’ll learn you were built tough!

4. You’re a bright, conﬁdent young woman and there are some things you’ve already got right! Your strong work ethic will take you far. People will notice and give you opportunities to soar. It’s OK to slack off a bit…you don’t have to work EVERY summer and school break. An internship or a study-abroad experience would do you well. Your bohemian style suits you. So don’t ever buy a Lacoste shirt or straight skirt! You will ﬁnd appropriate ways to express your individuality in all settings. Thanks for having the courage early to strut your stuff and be your unique self.

5. Your love of writing (and gift of gab) will serve you well throughout your career, so don’t stop! Keep writing! You will have the privilege to write laws that govern the most populous state in the nation. You will honor those who came before you and make history on your own.

6. You will travel, fall in love, get your first tattoo at thirty years and become a mom at thirty-five years. The friends you have now at fifteen years will still be in your life at fifty years (with the exception of David McDonald!). Your mentor Ruth will help you navigate many a fight with your mom and your rebellious period (it’s brief), and stand proudly by your side at ninety years old when you take the oath of office. She and the other wonderful role models in your life will never fail you, ever.

7. And finally, you will be amazed at how quickly time flies, so enjoy every moment. And when you celebrate your “quinceañera reverso” in 2015, you will take a moment to reflect on it all and realize, you are perfect just the way you are.

You go, girl!

Fondly,

Your older, wiser self California State Senator Holly J. Mitchell

25 INTRODUCTION

Welcome to Sound Generation: The Resonant Voices of Teen Girls. This is a book so packed with stories, dreams, emotions and vignettes that you need to savor it, the way you might keep a special photograph on your desk to be able to look at it often, on different days, over time. This book is best read like that, over time. Every page offers a different teen writer, a new perspective, a fresh view on life, love, lunch or Los Angeles.

While this isn’t a book about music exactly, many of the teen authors make some connection to music in their writing. Some of the musical references are clear, but others are not at all obvious, so we give you this challenge: See if you can catch all of the references to songs, bands, musicians, instruments, rhythms and sounds throughout the anthology.

The work in this book comes from two years of workshops and gatherings. Some pieces were written in a day, others took months of revision. The writing process is different for every writer.

This is an interactive book. There are quotes on the craft of writing from our community of writers throughout the book, and two chapters, “Inspiration Station” and “Click! WriteGirl at The Huntington,” are ﬁlled with a variety of writing experiments and advice to help you explore your own creativity and generate your own personal stories, poems, songs or scenes.

The sparkling fountain of inspiration behind WriteGirl is all of the women writers who volunteer to help lead workshops and mentor girls. They are accomplished screenwriters, songwriters, poets, journalists, ﬁction authors, memoirists, bloggers and more. Their positive and intensely creative energy fuels WriteGirl and keeps this community thriving and growing, year after year. We mourn the loss of two of our members this year: Elise Kroll and Jennah Ferrer-Foronda. Their joy and creative contributions will always be remembered, and are woven into the pages of this book.

26 There is a deliberate double meaning in the title of this book, Sound Generation. These are voices that will resonate in the decades ahead, leading us forward into making sound decisions and taking bold actions. So curl up in a cozy chair, and whether you dive into “Rise Up” or “Soundtrack of My Life” or “Mindful Mashed Potatoes,” we are certain you will feel all the different ways these girls remind us to never underestimate the power of a girl and her pen.

– Keren Taylor, Executive Director

27 REFRESHREFRESH FORFOR LIKESLIKES

11 REFRESHREFRESH FORFOR LIKESLIKES

11 Heather Lim, age 17 A typical millennial’s mental process after posting something.

#summer

I posted a picture of myself lying down in the sand next to my friend. We were wearing white bikinis. Hashtag summer has ﬁnally begun!

It’s been five seconds and the only person who liked was my pastor who left the church last year. Hope he’s doing well. It’s been one minute now and a girl commented, fire emoji, heart-eyes emoji, fire emoji.

Compliments, emojis, lies. Refresh for likes. Refresh for fulﬁllment, for enjoyment, for love. Hashtag bits of dopamine.

I’m waiting. Hashtag when will my phone buzz. I receive no notiﬁcations. I Photoshopped this picture to perfection and there are only 20 likes. What a shame.

My friend says self-esteem is maximized, mental health deteriorating. Hashtag delete.

30 Samantha Campbell, age 16 I wrote this poem last year for the Los Angeles Youth Poet Laureate competition. It was inspired by the problems, ridicule and struggle I’ve faced through having curly hair over the years but have ultimately accepted as a positive quality.

Curly Hair

A little girl with curly locks, twisted into migraine-inducing braids. Bloody murder from her lips, individuality hidden away, a monster in a sea of straight waves. Tearing at her cursed scalp, she clawed the unruly strands, begging them to straighten. Little girls pet her hair like a petting zoo attraction. Adults fawned over her, exclaimed she was a doll. Doll scalps were straight — she was not a doll but rather an unwanted reject, recalled from toy-store shelves, replaced with a straight blond bun in a dollhouse of replicas. After-school cartoons, straight brown ponytails, braids dragged her head down onto the couch. Magazine covers advertised hot irons in the aisles of department stores. Tiny curious hands, caught red-handed in the bathroom. She dropped her weapon, sentenced to serve time in the corner, mother praising her curly locks.

CHAPTER 1: TEEN LIFE 31 Vivian Enriquez, age 17 I am not a musical person. When I found out that the theme of the anthology was going to be music, I did not know how I would incorporate it into my poetry. It turns out, writing is one of the only ways I have the ability to be musical. My life experiences and the little research I did on specifc instruments inspired this piece.

Trumpet, Harp, Tambourine, Saxophone

When I was born, I was a trumpet. I shined like clean brass in my father’s eyes. I would feel the vibration of my mother’s lips as she sang to me.

Before the age of ten, I was no longer a trumpet. I was a harp, becoming tired of my parents plucking away at my innocence each time they yelled.

After mighty percussions I tried to hide that I was a tambourine. A tambourine woman with no sign of bruising.

But this is not a sad story. I am a saxophone. One that refuses to hide her voice.

This here, this writing, my heart, the wind that takes a journey through my anatomy, is how I sound and who I am.

32 Nicole Jefferson, age 16 I listen to music all the time. I love that there is always a song to describe exactly how I am feeling when I can’t describe it through my own words. This poem is meant to show the various activities of my life by describing the sounds associated with them.

Soundtrack of My Life

The soundtrack of my life is the clicking of the keys on my computer as I stay up late ﬁnishing homework. It is the cheering of crowds at Friday night high school football games and the barking of my dog running to the door to greet me when I come home.

The soundtrack of my life is the wedding band playing “Here Comes the Bride” as I watch my aunt walk down the aisle in her glowing white dress. It is the ringing of my alarm clock at precisely 5:27 every morning and the drip-drops of scattered rain that come every December.

The soundtrack of my life is the clacking of my tap shoes as I do a shufﬂe, toe-heel. It is the honking of geese on Sengekontacket Pond every summer morning, and it is my best friend and I laughing obnoxiously loud together.

And for all those moments of joyous sound there is a stark opposite. The soundtrack of my life is also the snifﬂing of my stuffy nose when I get sick. It is the funeral band as they lead the procession out of the church.

Through all of this noise, there is a song to complement every emotion that I am feeling.

And in that, I ﬁnd solace.

CHAPTER 1: TEEN LIFE 35 Katarina Lashley, age 17 In this song, I was imagining why people choose to leave their home, or the person they love.

Forgive Me

You look around in the empty town, and see that I am gone. By the theatre, by the park, by the bakery with its line too long.

I left, and you’ll never know what I felt. You’ll just know that I am missing. I hope someday you’ll forgive me.

We were living the lives that children live, kids turned to teenagers, trying to ﬁt in. I tried to squeeze inside a skin that wasn’t mine.

I tried to ﬁnd a place to belong. Turns out, I was in it all along.

I left, and you’ll never know what I felt. You’ll just know that I am missing. I hope someday you’ll forgive me.

36 Erica Logan, age 18

18 Lunar Years

The moon tells me stories, stories of old rituals and ancient times, its thoughts on life and the world. The moon knows my story, all my 18 years of moons, all the different phases. We’ve grown together, starting out new: dark, stormy, growing into something full, transparent. She lights the night and paves the way for the day. I hope to embody her light and bring a path to those in the night. The moon tells me stories. She reminds me of the gift that this is, the 18th year, the pivotal point, the edge of the cliff, the brink of what is known. So tonight, the last night of 17, I will hold hands with the moon, and together we will step into the edge of tomorrow.

CHAPTER 1: TEEN LIFE 37 Amayah Watson, age 17 I wrote this because this is me — the titles of music that have changed me. I started writing this at a WriteGirl workshop at the Huntington, and I feel like I came a long way and learned plenty of things about music that I didn’t know before.

My Playlist

I come from singing Doo-Wops and A Cappella, being my own Dangerous Woman, strutting and being conﬁdent and a Q.U.E.E.N. Fake Loves and Ill Minds to Blessings I can never forget to always hold true. The False Advertisements of Victorious victories. Traveling and seeing the Vegas Lights shining for miles, but still being a Cali Girl at heart. Covering myself with every song of the world, from centuries to come, and having my L.A. Love. Fallin’ Out and into Misery Business and ﬁnding myself. Being Just Fine, listening to myself, being myself. Having some of the Best Mistakes with some Deja Vu along the way, I’ll never Get Around, Without Myself Being Crazy but also Genius and starting over to Repeat.

38 Megan Yang, age 15 I wrote this piece after the very frst WriteGirl workshop we had this season. The positivity of the environment and the bright outlook on the status of women really spoke to me, and I wrote this to commemorate how my views were revived.

For Her Liberty

Though the sun’s last rays had faded to dusk, the ﬁrst drops fell anew to seed her truth. Through the cracks of her roof, splintered black-blue, they sprinkled her face, lit by lucid youth. The night was still young when she saw their ﬁres burning stilted echoes through her tears. They cast long shadows that played across her eyes, a stamp of mortality, to which she’d belong. She followed the silhouettes as they beat the same trail they’d trodden a mile’s time behind. Followed them even as they were triumphant in their arrogance, prideful of the paths she had paved. They never heard her, never knew her, never looked her way but for those rare moments of contemplation. Yet still, their entitlement served their fall as it did their rise, and as they winked out, ever reluctant, ever sure, as their nights spread thin as their wills, only then did she pen her own tale, sing her own anthem, waltz the rain away.

CHAPTER 1: TEEN LIFE 39 Sha’Terra Myles, age 17

Three Days

Our Valentine’s Day lasted for three days.

On day one we took our ﬁrst salsa class. We twisted, dipped and enjoyed our time of peace.

Day two we played volleyball at Venice Beach. He served, I spiked, and neither of us accepted defeat.

Last, we traveled to Paris and ate dinner in the Eiffel Tower. Between his hearty laugh and my twinkling eyes, I realized he’s the love of my life.

40 Valentina Santiago, age 14

Victim Mentality

Verse Stuck in one state of mind One look, you think I’m ﬁne Every day, you’ve been so rough Left me with cuts I just can’t stitch

Verse You came into my life unexpectedly At ﬁrst I tried to be friendly But then you drink my dreams You aren’t what you seem

Chorus You’re a home-wrecker a gold digger I don’t want your dirty tears on me Or your victim mentality

CHAPTER 1: TEEN LIFE 41 Tindi Mashamba, age 16 Tindi joined WriteGirl after moving to the United States from Tanzania. We asked her to share her poem in both English and Swahili.

Mimi Ni Mtoto I Am a Child Sina Mama No Mother

Mimi ni mtoto sina mama I am a child, no mother Mimi ninakja kuishi nawewe I am coming to stay with you Tafadhali nijari Please take care of me Mimi ni mtoto sina mama I am a child no mother

Nikumbatie kwa upendo Hug me tight with love Nibusu kama mama yangu Kiss me as my mother Niambie wanipenda Tell me you love me Mimi ni mtoto sina mama I am a child no mother

Tunza afya yangu Take care of my health Nilishe chakula kizri Feed me yummy food Nipeleke shule Take me to school Mimi ni mtoto sina mama I am a child no mother

Usini nyanyase Don’t abuse me Usini uze kwa wanaume Don’t sell me to the man Usini singizie bali unitetee Don’t accuse me, but be my defender Mimi ni mtoto sina mama I am a child no mother

Nipende kila siku Love me everyday Bila kujali nifanyalo No matter what I do Nipenda kutoka chini ya mayo wako Love me from the bottom of your heart Sababu mimi ni mtoto sina mama Cause I am a child no mother

CHAPTER 1: TEEN LIFE 43 Stacy Lee, age 17 I took my favorite sounds growing up and compiled them into a poem. I value each and every sound of my youth.

Breathe

Inhale … singing classes with the excitement of being loud for once. Exhale … my favorite ABBA songs coming from the radio. Inhale … the laughter from my classmates when we played together. Exhale … an orchestra at the Walt Disney Concert Hall playing in harmony. Inhale … my mom singing a lullaby as she rubs my tummy to make it feel better. Exhale … music from instruments my sister would play. I breathe the sounds from my childhood.

44 Blossom Bogen-Froese, age 14 The inspiration for this song is a dumb boy.

What It’s Like to Be Confused

Verse You make me feel like I’ve slept through the week, and I didn’t even get to see your face in my dream.

Chorus This is what it’s like to be confused (what it’s like, what it’s like).

Verse You’re the ring I dropped down the drain. You’re the ugly sweater that got stepped on in the rain.

Chorus This is what it’s like to be confused.

Verse I hope you get gum in your hair and can’t get it out. Forget your pencil while taking a test. I guess, I maybe love you.

CHAPTER 1: TEEN LIFE 45 Courtney Hayforth, age 17 During the WriteGirl Poetry Workshop at the Pasadena Public Library, one of the guest poets encouraged us to write about an imperfection we had and turn it into a positive memory.

I Am Not Perfect, but My Imperfections Remind Me of Something That Is

The air cuts across my weathered skin. Weak and fragile, it puts up a good ﬁght, but there were casualties from this war seen in the form of dry ﬂakes leaving my body’s surface.

When it’s cold, my skin, a matryoshka doll, comes off in layers, but those dead cells take me back to thirty-degree weather, winds strong enough to whistle in my ear, the simplest harmonies to my middle-school years in that small town, Fort Mill, with more trees than cars, where nature dominated civilization, where I ﬁrst met my best friend.

46 Isabella Orozco De La Vega, age 13

Band Director

All the band boys and all the band girls fear him. He is brutally honest. He will make you bow down to his queen, the chicken foot. Pray you don’t miss a note. Or come in a beat too late. Without Mr. Ellis, we would never be able to call ourselves anything more than kids who own an instrument. Without Mr. Ellis, we would never be Musicians.

CHAPTER 1: TEEN LIFE 49 I PREFER TO BE CALLEDSOPHIE

2 I PREFER TO BE CALLEDSOPHIE

2 Taylor Blackwell, age 18 It is important to sometimes turn off the news and enjoy the company of others. This started as a poem and turned into a song.

Don’t You Know?

Here, there you are stretched out on the ﬂoor with your arms over your head. There, here you are. I’ll feed you tea and oranges like Leonard Cohen said.

The wilting black-eyed Susans. If love’s a game we’re losing. I like lilies better, don’t you know?

Here, there you stay bundled up in blankets up to your chin. There, here you stay. We’ll keep warm while the ice is growing thin.

The polar bears are dying. Is there love in lying? Your words kill me, don’t you know?

Throw on your Bowie tee. Go fetch the morning coffee. We’ll read news in drudgery, the world around us crumbling.

52 Indigo Mapa, age 14 This came from a prompt to write about a gift (any gift, whether it’s physical or not) that you have received.

Gifts

Texts, calls and conversations that last from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. It starts off with a “hello.” Then a game of 20 Questions (more like 100 Questions). Then there are pauses in between, that last a minute, or two, or ﬁve, usually checking if our parents will catch us and take our phones away for staying up at such an ungodly hour.

After that passes, an “are you okay?” comes into play. Cue 10-20 minutes of mushy, angsty teenagers ranting about mood swings, feelings and crazy, unbelievable events that occurred in their lives. Then the compliments, comfort and praise come in.

Losing track of time, it’s now 4 a.m. A goodnight is whispered into the phone or typed. A yawn or two are heard. The possibility of someone already passed out lingers in the air. I’m looking forward to the same thing tomorrow night.

CHAPTER 2: FRIENDSHIP 53 Savannah House, age 15 This piece is about two best friends who mean the world to each other. It is written from the perspective of a male, but it is not a romance.

Trees and Books

“Come here,” I said, with daring eyes. We had been reading for hours, and I had ﬁnished the three half-read books I’d brought to the park.

She looked up from her book, puzzled, and stood up, stretched and smiled off her yawn. I grabbed her book from her hand and put it down on the blanket in the grass.

Taking her hand, we walked four trees behind our makeshift book nook. I looked back at it in the distance and it surprised me. Food sat in pizza boxes and cookie trays, napkins and beat-up old lunch bags. The light pink feathered blanket blended in with the grass and scattered blossoms, fallen from the trees above.

From any other perspective, she was looking at me. But I knew her too well; I knew she was looking past me. She stepped back from my hand and I let it drop to my side. Her silhouette in the sunlight was beautiful.

She smiled for the ﬁrst time in weeks, and looked me straight in the eyes. “Let’s dance,” she said.

54 Experiment #4

Collecting Inspiration:

A poem can come from anywhere, but sometimes you need a little help to get started. Find a piece of art, a photograph or a postcard. Take some time to look at all the details, and write a poem that tells the story of what happened before the photo was taken, before the image was created.

Turn It Up:

Try making a list of items that are related somehow — maybe you can ﬁnd them in one place, or maybe they belong to a special person. You can browse bookshelves, kitchen cupboards or your closet for inspiration. Once you have a list of items, create short descriptions that feature vivid personal details and throw in a few metaphors.

Max Volume:

To make your piece even stronger, enhance the descriptions with speciﬁc details that only you can see.

146 Experiment #4 Lizeth De La Luz, age 19 I was sitting in a room with old picture frames all over the walls, wondering the context behind the photographs – the century, the people in them, the truth behind them and if anyone would recognize them. From there, I made a list of related words (images, gold, luxuriant, beautiful, memories, time, tomorrow, today, breaths, music, truth, love, confdence, you). Then I took the missing pieces and imagined some of the stories behind the pictures. This is one of the poems I wrote that day.

Time As You

The image I have of you is rain as time Luxuriant, precious. Broken fragments between folds Tell golden stories Stories, the lines on your hands cannot Tell you the truth My dear, time as you is beautiful And you are time Finding the seconds in the day Is like ﬁnding the breaths you breathe And holding on to them a little tighter You are beautiful Your heart The syllabus you speak Your minutes in beats The antique laughter of your grandmother in you My dear, you are beautiful The portrait of peculiar music That only you can taste and feel in your lungs As you harmonize to silence You are beautiful If your words were colors in rain drops God would not recognize the beauty it has had on you You would be as time luxuriant and precious.

WriteGirl Intern

Lizeth is studying English and Computer Science at Santiago Canyon College. She is hoping to write and animate for production companies as well as become an established author. CHAPTER 7: WRITING EXPERIMENTS 147 The Creative Process Advice from the WriteGirl Community of Mentors

Jamie Pachino is an award-winning writer for theater, ﬁlm and TV. Her plays have been published, produced in four countries and honored more than two dozen times. She has written ﬁlm features for DreamWorks, Disney and Lionsgate; TV movies for Amazon, Hallmark Hall of Fame, Lifetime and more; and written for series television on NBC, AMC, TNT and USA.

I write to ﬁnd out what I don’t know about the world.

Mine was a roundabout way to where I am. I started as an actor, wrote plays, then wrote features and TV movies and now write for series television (while continuing to write plays and TV movies on hiatuses). The only advice I have as a result is: your path is your path. Don’t look at others’ ways of arriving and think about what you “should” be doing or if they’re “better” or “worse” than you are. For me, my goal was always to be a working artist. HOW I made that work was my own journey. If I measured it against how anyone else got to where they are, it would be comparing apples and oranges.

To overcome writer’s block:

Write. Write a lot. Write no matter how bad it is. Try very hard not to care. Keep going. Write some more bad stuff. Get to something, anything that has a kernel of truth in it. Throw the other stuff out and start there. Write some more. Rinse, repeat.

Advice for writers: Travel. Talk Learn about ANYTHING ELSE BESIDES WRITING. to strangers. Learn about other lives besides your own. Fall in love. Get your heart broken. Have experiences. Reach out to others. The more you know about the world, the more you can portray in your work.

148 Kelley Turk is a screenwriter who has worked on such shows as 7th Heaven and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. She also wrote a tie-in book called The Secret Diary of Ashley Juergens and is currently developing a women of history series, with the ﬁrst season focusing on Marie Antoinette.

I gave myself permission to call myself a writer after ﬁnishing my ﬁrst script. It was hard work, but I still wanted to write. That’s when I knew I had found my career path.

I always read my scripts out loud. It’s amazing the things you notice when you do that. There’s a rhythm that presents itself that for some reason doesn’t come through just by reading it.

The blank page can be a very scary thing. But writing is rewriting, and since you can’t rewrite a blank page, you have to ﬁll it. Everything I’ve ever written has been the result of draft after draft after draft. You always have to wade through the muck to get to the good stuff.

To overcome writer’s block: Give yourself a pass to ﬁll that blank page with imperfect things because that’s the only way to get to that ﬁnal draft. Advice for writers: Writers have to have experiences. getting outside, interacting with a varietyThis includes of people, reading, listening to opinions that are different from yours and opening yourself up to learning the hard lessons. Some of my best work has been mined from the toughest moments of my life.

Read as much as you can. If you ﬁnd some writing you love, break it down and ﬁgure out what you like about it. Write every day in order to zero in on what your voice is and what you want your writing to say.

CHAPTER 7: WRITING EXPERIMENTS 149 Experiment #5

The Struggle Is Real:

Many writers struggle when faced with a blank page. But your pen will ﬂy across the page when you write about things that lift your emotions. Write a poem about something you love to do — it could be a sport, a hobby, a Sunday morning routine. Tell us about why you love that activity — give us all the details.

Turn It Up:

If you struggle when you begin writing, you can write your own unique poem about the struggle of writing. If writing comes more easily to you, then write about why, when or where you write, and what it feels like.

Max Volume:

Instead of a poem or prose, write a two-person dialogue where your main character loves to write and is convincing a reluctant writer to try it.

150 Experiment #5 Belen Gonzalez, age 17

I Write

I write because inside my head are worlds, alternate realities that want to be realized to ﬂy out into the world like the demons of Pandora’s box.

There are stories in my heart, moments in life, too good not to share. People I want to introduce to everyone, places I want others to see.

They whirl my thoughts, cloud my sight and shout at their chains, “Let me free.”

I write because I want to write, because I want to share, because there are stories out there.

CHAPTER 7: WRITING EXPERIMENTS 151 Experiment #6

A Recipe for Writing :

Do you ever wish you knew a recipe to make happiness... or conﬁdence? What about a recipe for avoiding drama or recovering from depression? Do you ever wish you could explain an unfamiliar feeling? Some things are just so complicated! Think about a time when your feelings changed. Maybe you were lonely and then became calm; perhaps you were excited, then became frustrated. What were some of the steps that made that transition happen? Write a recipe poem that describes the steps for moving from one emotion into another emotion.

Turn It Up:

A recipe poem can help you write about absolutely anything by imagining different steps and ingredients. This poet borrows the language of recipes to write about her topic in a fresh way. Try writing a recipe for yourself — or for someone you care about who needs some help or advice.

Max Volume:

Imagine a scene in a musical where your main character is just about to sing your recipe. What are the two characters talking about? Write the dialogue that precedes your “recipe song.”

152 Experiment #6 Kiyanti Schlank, age 15 I was at a WriteGirl workshop in a library, and my mentor and I were given instructions to go to the medical books and write a prescription for change. I wanted it to look like a real recipe, and she encouraged me to write it.

A Recipe for Change

• Step one is to have a mind like a pot, ﬁlled to the brim with ideas.

• Next, take the most ﬁtting thought and toss it into a cup with a splash of inspiration.

• Grab all the pills of outsider opinions you may have, smash them together and throw the ashes away (for they will not be necessary).

• Add a few pinches of salt and pepper, your trusty supporters (who may only be a pen and paper).

• Grasp the spoon of inﬁnity to mix your potion so it will last.

• Drink the brew, really chug it down, and in a ﬂash, you will have the world before you, and it will be yours to change.

CHAPTER 7: WRITING EXPERIMENTS 153 The Creative Process Advice From the WriteGirl Community of Mentors

Courtney Turk is a television writer who has worked on 7th Heaven and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. She is currently developing a women of history project with the ﬁrst season focusing on Marie Antoinette. She has been with WriteGirl for two seasons as a weekly and monthly mentor.

I knew in high school I wanted to be a writer. I think anyone who loves to write has permission to call herself a writer.

I write because I ﬁnd it to be the most creative form of communica- tion. Words matter. They help us engage and connect and take us to places that only our imagination can allow us to go.

Something to try:

I came up with an activity on writing character descriptions with my weekly WriteGirl mentee that I really enjoyed. We went to a place where we knew a lot of people would be. We each then selected a person to write a description about. But we were not allowed to include their clothes or hair. People often use those as a crutch, and we wanted to really dig deep and think more outside the box than that. We would then swap our descriptions and try to pick whom the other person had been writing about.

Advice for writers:

Embrace criticism. It doesn’t always feel like it, but it only makes your writing better. Writing is rewriting. The more you mold it, the more it comes out how you envisioned it.

Read books. It helps open up your creativity and evolve it.

154 Maiya Williams was the ﬁrst black woman elected to the Harvard Lampoon. As a TV writer-producer she has worked on such shows as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Mad TV and Futurama. She is also a novelist of middle-grade books.

I write best in the morning. Every day I wake up at six, walk the dogs, get my son off to school, eat breakfast and read the newspaper, and then by 8:30 I start writing. I write until lunchtime, then after lunch I continue writing until about four. I don’t wait for inspiration, because to me that equals procrastination. But gener- ally I am inspired by strong energy and emotion, whoever it comes from, but often it comes from people in my family. Excitement, happiness, sadness, love, hate — if it’s a strong emotion, it excites my mind.

I use a laptop computer and sometimes I have to change where I sit in the house to get the right “vibe” before I can write. I rotate to a new place in the house if the old place becomes “stale.”

To overcome writer’s block: Sometimes fresh air, a nice hike or bike ride, or walking my dogs will clear my head. But sometimes the problem is that there is something false embedded in the manuscript, and it takes more digging to find the problem and fix it. That’s harder obviously, but feels great when you finally find the problem and address it.

Advice for writers: Get a good book about the basics of writing whatever form you want to write in, read it, and then write, write, write!

Open yourself up to as many different kinds of experiences as possible because you never know when you can use it in your writing.

Don’t criticize your work by coming to the conclusion that you are terrible just because your ﬁrst efforts aren’t great. Believe that you can always improve and be willing to work at it, the same way an athlete works at improving her game.

CHAPTER 7: WRITING EXPERIMENTS 155 Experiment #7

Playing with Pattern:

Take a closer look at the poem on the following page; do you notice any patterns? Yes, the important words within each line all start with the same letter. Create a poem that uses a pattern of your own creation. You could use a speciﬁc number of words or syllables on each line, or you could use a different vowel sound on each line — play with a few pattern ideas until you ﬁnd one that inspires you.

Turn It Up: Hide your pattern. Rearrange your lines, or write a different version of your poem that disguises your “device” or pattern. Sometimes just the constraint of a speciﬁc “rule” is all you needed to ﬁnd yourself writing something you didn’t even know you needed to say.

Max Volume: Make this experiment more challenging by adding more patterns and including a color, a gemstone or a name (people or places) in every line.

156 Experiment #7 Zoe Frohna, age 15

River

Take thoughts and turn them to me. I will ingest illnesses and idolize ipecac, stripping shelves of shirked stories, coming clean, touching cheeks.

Nicking, noting nigh darkness: “Once overworking overcomes, death doesn’t seem daunting.” Killjoy, killjoy, killjoy.

Bronze bones buried in bleach. Lozenges littering lonely streets, succumbing to slow sorrows. Reality revamps human rights.

Unfazed, universes continue unwinding us. Awful, ain’t it? Arrogance appears. Glaciers grow gaping maws, glitzy glitzy. Thrones of topaz, twinkly tequila, through and through.

CHAPTER 7: WRITING EXPERIMENTS 157 Celine Merino, Age 17 I went to visit my mother’s hometown in Michoacán during winter break and we went to a little island called Janitzio. There, I watched this dance for the frst time.

Danza de los Viejitos

I walked alongside locals and tourists as they circled a pair of dancers. A child stood by as an older dancer slapped his feet against the pavement, the wooden bottoms of his shoes echoing loudly, his movements in sync with the violinist’s upbeat tune.

The mask that concealed his face was what caught my attention the most, its bizarre expression more amusing than frightening — though the child crying next to me said otherwise. The violin suddenly shifted into something more somber, the dancer’s hunched back lurching forward even more as his movements ceased.

It reﬂected some sort of sadness, a bit of despair and hopelessness. Then the music was upbeat again, along with the dancer. The boy, who’d stood out of his way, decided to step in, mimicking the older man’s motions. His tiny shoes slapped along the concrete, creating a rhythm that was in sync with the music but differed from what the elder was trying to do.

This was my mother’s culture, and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride from the beautiful show.

184 Louana Garraud, age 16 This piece is about the frst New Year’s Eve I spent back in France since I moved to Los Angeles.

A Night in Paris

It’s only ten as I walk in still not knowing anybody.

Unknown faces, places, but we’ll be part of history. Smells and noises slowly making their way to me.

Bubbles pop, set tongues wagging, and some boy tells me his story.

We speak our minds, what do we care, music will drown our honesty.

Raising our glass, counting from ten in unity.

The clock now rests. Put on our vests, leaving — the night will forget me.

We live. Youth of Paris. The ﬁrst of January.

186 Autumn Victoria, age 18 At the WriteGirl Poetry Workshop at the Pasadena Public Library, I browsed through the geography section, pulled out a book and read a powerful sentence about the country Benin.

Benin

On deserted beaches driftwood and seaweed walk along the sand taking over the passage where slave ships once sailed polluting the water as it is now beginning its transformation for a free wave that beats on the lives of the new generation stunning indigenous architecture of solid homes that stay bold in colors stubborn in their own existence as the sea and land become ﬁercely unrelenting.

CHAPTER 9: PLACE 187 A FEW SCRATCHES ON THE GROOVES

188 A FEW SCRATCHES ON THE GROOVES

CHAPTER 10: MUSIC 189 Sammy Park, age 16 Being a feminist and a multi-dimensional person allows me the freedom to be myself, regardless of norms.

Liking Pop Music Is Radical

In a society that judges teenage girls for everything, being authentically “you” is a challenge.

Music, clothes, even speech by girls are policed by a patriarchal society.

And so when I love Fifth Harmony publicly, or Ed Sheeran’s new album, I am well aware of the consequences.

I am through trying to defy every gender expectation set before me.

Yes, I like pop music and have an afﬁnity for pop culture. That does not make me any less of a feminist.

190 Malena Logan, age 15 I thought about the main way that I connect to music – for me that’s when I’m either having a great or not-so-great day.

How to Feel Better with Melody

When the day is long, you come home, slip the door shut, listening for the turn and click of the doorknob. You wash yourself of conformity with the large sweater-like cloth back into what you know, what has rhythm and tempo. Mood lighting is key: soft purples and pinks with hints of warm bright light of the slow-melting sandalwood and sage. Note the vintage scratch as the needle cascades from your ﬁngertips to the record.

Sway at ﬁrst, letting the euphoric sense of calm wrap around like the warmth of a friend you’ve waited too long to see. The lyrics roll off your tongue, speaking for every tear, every scream. Arms, shoulders and hips swinging much like your mother’s did. Let your body double over, allowing your tears to hit the ground. Eventually your body will begin to thrash, taking no precaution of the objects around you. You will know when you are done when your legs collapse, the music stops, and you are out of breath.

CHAPTER 10: MUSIC 191 Olivia Trollinger, age 17 I wrote this in a coffee shop while some upbeat jazz music was playing. I couldn’t tell you what song — I’m not a jazz afcionado.

here’s jazz

Longsleeve Rhoda permed and porched out on a rocking chair, the sun low and golden under the eyes of the other mothers. “She accumulates from time to time (at night) every night: You’ll only see it if she ﬁnds you unlucky. And I’ll tell you a secret: What comes from milk poured warm over equal sacriﬁce?”

192 Cindy Liu, age 15

Music I Remember

Faded photograph I take out and dust off. My ﬁngers twitch as they recall the smooth coldness of the black and white keys of the piano, and suddenly I am alive with the woody scent of rosin dust beneath the hairs of the violin bow as it swirls through my veins, and the faint metallic scent of violin strings on ﬁngertips stained with stripes of gray.

Some days, I forget the way my bones tremble in the sound of music. On those days, I sit in this stranger’s body that doesn’t shiver in the pulsating chords and vibration of strings.

Today, I remember music like a resurfacing memory I catch as it slips through the cracks of my cupped hands.

CHAPTER 10: MUSIC 193 Katherine Pyne-Jaeger, age 16 I wrote this piece recently after watching a performance of Man of La Mancha at a local community theater. The woman playing the musical’s main female role had an exceptionally striking presence I’d never noticed in an actress — a feral, tenacious and fundamentally unashamed sense of self. For those unfamiliar with the musical, during the fnale, said actress leads the cast in a reprise of its most famous number (most of you will at least have heard of “The Impossible Dream,” I don’t doubt). While I watched, for a moment before the houselights went down, her face looked as if something holy had struck it: her eyes were like those of Saint Teresa in Bernini’s Ecstasy. I understood with complete certainty that I needed to attempt to preserve that in a poem. The title refers to Saint Cecilia, Roman martyr beheaded in Sicily and patroness of musicians.

Cecilia

A woman with the body of a lion sang. Something began to stream forth from the forge door of her eyes. It was her soul. It lifted brieﬂy, Sublimely, out of the dark.

194 Ava Chamberlin, age 14 I love to shop for old records and always wonder what they sound like, where they came from and the stories they could tell.

Discovering

Dust danced before my eyes as I stared down at rows upon rows of twelve-inch cardboard sleeves. I ﬂipped through as many as I could. They were all black vinyl on the inside but seemed so different on the outside. Some were new and unopened, and some were tattered and well loved. All of them told a different story.

Had they been lost and forgotten in some basement, waiting for someone to pluck them out from the dark? Or had they been a cherished collection that just wasn’t relevant anymore? I wondered when they had been played: at a cheerful wedding, after a breakup, or maybe during a ﬁrst date?

Each one had a story behind it, and I wished I could ﬁnd some way to know each and every one, but I was on a budget after all, so I’d have to get to know only two. I decided to ﬁnd the most tattered and worn sleeves with graphics fading from being eagerly handled so many times. There would be a few scratches on the grooves, but I didn’t mind. If they were ripped and taped back together, I knew that they had to be good, that they probably contained someone’s favorite songs. Listening to someone’s cherished songs would allow me to know not only the album but the person who owned it as well.

As I picked my ﬁnal two, I wondered, would these records end up at another place just like this one, and would someone come pick them out and uncover a piece of me as well?

202 Sequoia Sherriff, age 16 Every seven years, all cells in the human body are slowly replaced with new ones. Although this is an incredibly interesting scientifc fact, it’s also heartbreaking at the same time.

Seven Years

“Did you know, after seven years, every cell in the human body is replaced?”

It was the ﬁrst thing you ever said to me. I don’t know if it was meant to be an interesting fact or some sort of jolting hook for the life you were living, but I was intrigued.

I think that was how our friendship worked. You would say something abrupt, and I would be fascinated.

“That can’t be true,” I would say, my head leaning against my palm, my eyes wide with curiosity.

And then you would rattle on about how, yes, of course that was true and, yes, you had found it on the internet, but when was the internet ever wrong? And light bulbs would go off over your head and you’d wave your arms around as you spoke, and I had never seen anything as breathtakingly magniﬁcent in my entire life.

And it went on for seven years.

I learned about everything from black toothpaste (and the fact that it cleaned better than regular toothpaste), to the gold paint on the edges of books, to the effects of singing as soon as you woke up in the morning, to the legitimate size that wings would have to be if human beings were meant to ﬂy.

206 Mayra Blas, age 18 I wrote this about relationships.

Same Old, Same Old

You and me, a song on repeat engraved into my brain I already know the words you’re going to say

The time of day doesn’t matter You sing I still sing along (as if it weren’t an overplayed song)

I can’t bring my heart to skip you Your beat keeps it dancing your sweet melody

I hear the beginning of your song and every time

I can’t help but hope you’ll only ever sing it to me

CHAPTER 11: LOVE 209 Jay Shillingford, age 18 I wrote this in a WriteGirl workshop and edited it many times over with my mentor at the time. I wrote it because I was trying to dig deep and fnd out how I could paint a picture with words, to have the reader see what I felt. I wrote it for my girlfriend and for myself.

Last I Saw You

You were walking away. It was warm and sunny, but cold air came like whiplash to my face and heart. I felt time slowing and my eyes burning and stinging. The grass felt hollow between my ﬁngertips and the air smelled salty. I kept thinking, how long until I see you again, as you started to slip from my gaze.

The last hug from you was a comforting cup of tea that ﬁlled me up with overwhelming warmth. I knew that too soon you and I needed to go separate ways, and I fought the tears that threatened to spill. One more thought of this bittersweet memory and I won’t be able to watch you leave without me. The truth is, as I saw your back turning and you walking quickly, we both knew that if you didn’t leave fast enough you’d be stuck with me forever.

222 Isabel Alejandra Aguirre, age 17 I wanted to write about a couple I saw when I was with my father fshing at Venice Beach. The couple was dancing along the boardwalk, and when she saw me sitting there while my dad fshed she approached. Without saying a word she offered me the rose I presume her partner gave her. I was about ten years old.

The Rose

I gazed at the couple down the boardwalk. They were there, dancing and twirling together. All I could do was stare.

They held one another softly, as if this were the last time they would see each other.

He was like a dream. And she was the one. A couple made from above.

Slowly they both leaned in … her cheeks a soft rose and his eyes which held pure love.

Two inches close, the kiss a mixture of ﬁreworks and then warmth blossoming within her. Then she glanced at me and smiled warmly.

I remember this day and don’t want it to fade, the day a woman in love gave me a rose. This memory of love, which keeps me hopeful to this day.

CHAPTER 11: LOVE 223 Anya Baranets, age 15 This song isn’t about anyone specifcally; it just kind of came to me.

Forget Me Not

Verse I like the way you look in my eyes You are my sun, and you always rise You keep me happy and ﬁlled with hope You are the one who keeps me aﬂoat

Chorus And I like your eyes, like water drops I like your words and pretty thoughts Love me now, forget me not Love me now, forget me not

Verse I like the ﬂowers in your hair I like the way you’re standing there I like your smile in the dark Your soft voice singing like a lark

Chorus And I like your eyes, like water drops I like your words and pretty thoughts Love me now, forget me not Love me now, forget me not

224 Reina Esparza, age 19

Rise Up

They’ll try to stop your ﬂight, try to pull you down.

But you can’t hear them, won’t feel them. Poisons of the past just roll off your body.

And you see it all: the joy, the love, the hope. And you rise to your best self.

You rise and rise up, above anything. You have arrived, your soul warm and bright.

CHAPTER 12: RESIST 239

AT A TIME WHEN I THOUGHT I HAD NO “ POWER, WRITEGIRL“ HELPED ME FIND MY VOICE. Never underestimate the power of a girl and her pen.

336 CONNECT WITH WRITEGIRL

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Never underestimate the power of a girl and her pen.

337 Keep writing and be kind to yourself.